Samsung Galaxy Stellar, LG Intuition Phablet Headed for Verizon

Verizon, kicking off what's likely to be a busy week, announced it will begin selling the 5-inch LG Intuition and enterprise-friendly Samsung Galaxy Stellar Sept. 6.

Verizon Wireless will add two new Android smartphones to its 4G Long-Term
Evolution (LTE) network during the week of Sept. 3, the LG Electronics
Intuition-a 5-inch tablet that is LG's answer to the Samsung Galaxy Note
franchise-and the enterprise-friendly Samsung Galaxy Stellar.
Verizon will begin selling the LG Intuition online Sept. 6 and in stores
Sept. 10. Anyone who buys the device between those dates will receive an LG
Tone Stereo Bluetooth headset at no additional cost. With a new two-year
agreement-a Verizon data plan isn't an option, though the phone can be added to
a Verizon Share Everything plan for $40 a month-the Intuition is priced at
$199.99.

Like Samsung's Note devices, the Intuition comes with a stylus of sorts that
LG calls a Rubberdium pen, though users can also employ a fingertip to add a
handwritten note to photos, Websites, maps or other types of content. There's a
QuickMemo app on board, for such handwritten notes, as well as a Polaris Office
app in which various types of documents can be viewed, edited and shared.

In addition to a 5-inch display with a 4:3 aspect radio and a 650 NIT
display, making it easy to view even in bright sunlight, the phone runs Android
version 4.0, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, has a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon
processor and 1GB of RAM.
There's an 8-megapixel camera on the back, with LED flash and 1080p HD video
recording, and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front, Bluetooth 3.0 and Hotspot
capabilities that make it possible to share the phone's 4G connection with up
to 10 WiFi-enabled devices.
The Intuition is also among a growing number of devices to include NFC (Near
Field Communication) technology. LG is including two programmable NFC tags with
the device-using an LG Tag+ app, the tags can be programmed to perform a list
of possible actions, such as dimming the display or turning off the ringer. LG
has put together a selection of common modes-Office Mode, Car Mode, Sleep
Mode-to further simplify the process.
Moving on to the newest Samsung handset: It's exclusive to Verizon and will
arrive Sept. 6 for the low, low price of free after a $50 mail-in rebate.
The phone is an interesting one-a simple, fast device ideal for first-time
smartphone users who plan to bring the phone to work.
The Galaxy Stellar is Samsung Approved for the Enterprise (SAFE), so it has
256-bit encryption on it, as well as support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync,
virtual private networks (VPNs) and mobile device management (MDM) solutions.
The Stellar has a 4-inch display, is 4G LTE capable, and runs a 1.2GHz
Snapdragon processor and Android Ice Cream Sandwich.
First-time smartphone users may appreciate the option to choose between
Standard and Starter modes. The latter features a simplified home screen with
the ability to call frequently phoned numbers without leaving the home screen,
while the former is, as the name suggests, a more traditional Android
experience.
The Stellar features a Media Hub, where users can buy or rent video content.
The expected Google apps-Gmail, Google Talk, Google Maps, etc.-are also
included, and so is a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera and a 3.2-megapixel
camera on the back.
There's a microSD card slot with support for up to 32GB of storage, WiFi
connectivity and a Backup Assistant Plus app that helps users store content in
the cloud and easily access it.
The Verizon news comes ahead of what should be a busy week for the mobile
industry-Motorola and Nokia have events planned for Sept. 5, at which each is
expected to introduce a new phone, and Amazon has an event scheduled for the
next day, at which it, too, according to the rumors, may introduce a
smartphone.

Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University, and in her spare time obsesses about food. Her first book, The Gastronomy of Marriage, if forthcoming from Random House in September 2009.